Former school teacher sentenced for Lincoln School District arson

A former Lincoln elementary school teacher could spend the next 12 years in prison for setting the fire that destroyed the Lincoln Public School District office a year ago.

Sharon Brewster pleaded no contest to second-degree arson for the fire that caused an estimated $20 million damage.

Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly said the judge looked at the seriousness of the offense in determining the sentence.

“And he can consider the effect that it had on the victims and in this case you had 400 employees out at the Lincoln Public School building who are all very much affected by it and it went a lot further than that,” Kelly told Nebraska Radio Network affiliate KLIN.

Kelly noted that three firefighters suffered significant injuries as well.

Brewster, upset by an evaluation she received, set fire to paperwork next to a desk at the district office on May30th of last year. The fire quickly spread in the building that had no sprinkler system. The fire had engulfed the building when firefighters arrived. It was a total loss.

The investigation led authorities to Brewster, who confessed to the arson. In February, she entered the formal plea of no contest. She could have been sentenced for up to 20 years in prison.